Improvement in wagon-brake levers



0. W. BOETTNBR. Wagon-Brake Lever.

No. 206,415. I Patented July 30,1878,

fittest. Inventor.

CHARLES V. BOETTNER, OF PERU, INDIANA IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BRAKE LEVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,415, dated July 30,1878; application filed January .21, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BoETT- NER, of the city of Peru, countyof Miami, and State of Indiana, have made a new and useful invention inTension-Holder for \Vagoil-Brakes and analogous purposes, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The nature of this invention relates to the construction of a clampingdevice for holding the tension-lever of a wagon-brake, the object beingto produce a cheap and efficient device for holding brakes when setunder strain without the aid of a ratchet or pawl.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification, and showsaperspeetive view of a device embodying my invention.

The letters marked on the drawing denote the parts indicated by a likeletter in this specification.

A represents a detached section of the side of a wagon-box, showing themethod of attaching the device when used in connection with the commonwagon-brake. B represents the tension-lever. This lever is pivoted atits lower end to the lower edge of the box A, and extends sufficientlyhigh to be convenient to the driver. 0 represents a bar of iron in theform of an are, bent to a circle whose radius is equal to the distancefrom the pivot in the lower end of lever B to the point of intersectionwith the are C. This bar is bent laterally at each end of the are, so asto form an offset to throw the areout slightly from the box, and to formfeet, by which it may be fastened to the box. The rear end of the bar isextended and curved inward, so as to receive the pivot that receives thelower end of lever B. The loop D on the side of thelever B embraces theare C, by means of which the lever is guided and supported.

The tension-lever B and the bar 0 and its manner of attachment are oldand not of my invention.

E represents an elbow-shaped dog, pivoted loosely near the elbow tolever B. One arm of this lever hangs nearly parallel with the lever B,and is provided near the lower end with the long mortise F, throughwhich the are 0 passes loosely; but when this arm is allowed to swingout of parallel with the lever the ends of the mortise F will impingeagainst the opposite edges of the are 0, thus rendering the lever Bimmovable in one direction.

Now, it will be seen that it the tension-lever B is attached in theusual manner to the brakes of a wagon, the brakes may be set and firmlyheld by the dog E at any point on the are 0 without the aid of a ratchetor pawl.

Gr represents a trip-lever, made in the form of an inverted letter T,having three arms. The rear short arm is pivoted to the lever B. Theopposite arm is pivoted to the upper end of the trip-rod H. The lowerend of the triprod is pivoted to the horizontal arm of the dog E.

1t will be seen that the position of the long arm of the trip-lever Grto the handle of the tension-lever B enables the operator to grasp bothlevers with one hand, and by pressing them together the dog E isdisengaged, and the lever B may be freely moved back and forth; but onreleasing the grasp of the lever G the weight of the horizontal arm ofthe dog causes the other arm of the dog to swing out of parallel withthe lever B, when the ends of the mortise F will impinge on the are C,and hold the lever from moving back To compensate for any irregularityin the curve of the are C the dog E is made with an elongated eye, so asto allow it to rise and fall on the pivot, by which it is fastened tothe lever B.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is In combinationwith the lever B and are C, the trip-lever Gr, dog E, and trip-rod H,when constructed, arranged, andv combined as and for the purposeshereinbefore set forth.

CHARLES XV. BOETTNER.

Vitnesses:

H. F. UNDEnwoon, L. E. WHEELER.

